Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I do not have a closed mind on that at all. There has been significant appreciation and regard for the work of the Office of the Ombudsman over its 30-year remit. We have been very lucky with the people selected by various Administrations over the past 30 years to hold the office and who have built public confidence therein.

The raft of additional bodies under the remit of the Ombudsman, including third-level educational institutions, education and training boards, the National Roads Authority, the fisheries board, the Courts Service of Ireland and many others I have not time to mention, will give it a lot of additional work. I am not sure that simply giving the office constitutional underpinning would strengthen public confidence in it. It already enjoys robust public confidence. However, I do not have a closed mind in considering that for the future.

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